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Inside Dental Technology
March 2019
Volume 10, Issue 3

The Enamel Replacement Approach

High Density Micronization makes lithium disilicate ingot stand above the rest

Al Hodges, CDT

Few products have had an immediate impact on my laboratory like GC Initial® LiSi Press has—especially the enamel replacement ingots. For years, I dreaded veneers. Fabricating refractory or foil veneers or thin-pressing lithium disilicate and then layering is very labor intensive and can cost my laboratory significant time.

GC Initial® LiSi Press is a lithium disilicate ceramic ingot with a technology unique to GC called High Density Micronization (HDM), which provides brilliant physical properties and extremely natural, lifelike esthetics. HDM uses equally dispersed lithium disilicate micro-crystals to fill the entire glass matrix rather than using traditional larger-size crystals that do not take full advantage of the matrix structure. The result is a combination of high strength and beautiful esthetics, making GC Initial® LiSi Press my preferred choice for restorations through all levels of transparency.

When GC released the GC Initial® LiSi Press High Transparency (enamel) ingots, it was a breath of fresh air, and now I look forward to fabricating veneers again. They have become my highest profit center and quickest cases to produce because I can now fabricate monolithic crowns and veneers with results that rival layered crowns. Best of all, with the >500-MPa strength of GC Initial® LiSi Press, I rarely worry about chipping or fractures.

The Bleach Extra White Enamel ingots are beautiful, with a balance of translucency and bright white that is difficult to achieve with layering. The enamel ingots really shine with the press and glaze technique. I find the High Transparency ingots match the GC Initial® incisal layering powders so closely that this product has made the weak, time-consuming foil or refractory veneers obsolete in my laboratory. Now, I can press and glaze while getting more beautiful, natural-looking results much faster and with significantly more strength than I've experienced in other products.

Another big time-saver is how cleanly and easily my pressings divest, due to a very minimal reaction layer. There is no need for hazardous hydrofluoric acid or alumina blasting. The GC Initial® LiSi Press investment system uses a unique release agent in the investment powder, which creates a gap or "tear-off line," resulting in an easily broken reaction layer. I have also found that this investment system gives me more working time than other products that I have used in the past.

Key Takeaways

› GC Initial® LiSi Press has a strength of >500 MPa, making chipping or fractures rare
› Bleach Extra White Enamel ingots offer a balance of translucency and bright white
› Significant time savings make GC Initial® LiSi Press a high profit center

About the Author

Al Hodges, CDT
Highland Dental Arts
Waynesburg, KY
Manufacturer Information

Manufacturer Information

GC America Inc.
gcamerica.com
800-323-7063

Disclaimer: The statements and opinions contained in the preceding material are not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology.

Al Hodges, CDT

Al Hodges, CDT

Fig 1. GC Initial LiSi Press ingots.

Figure 1

Fig 2. Investment.

Figure 2

Fig 3. A bleach shade GC Initial LiSi Press ingot.

Figure 3

Fig 4. Pre-operative image of a case for which a bleach-shade ingot was used.

Figure 4

Fig 5. Press and glaze with no layering or stain.

Figure 5

Fig 6. Final restoration.

Figure 6

Fig 7. Final restoration.

Figure 7

Fig 8. An extra-white shade ingot.

Figure 8

Fig 9. Press and glaze.

Figure 9

Fig 10. Final restoration.

Figure 10

Fig 11. Final restoration.

Figure 11

Fig 12. Another case using extra-white GC Initial LiSi Press.

Figure 12

Fig 13. Another case using extra-white GC Initial LiSi Press.

Figure 13

Fig 14. Another case using extra-white GC Initial LiSi Press.

Figure 14

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